The Frenchman, who is expected by some to rival Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency in 2015, believes an increase in teams would only add an extra three days to the tournament's running time and would ensure better representation for non-European confederations.

Blatter recently spoke about Africa's under-representation at the showpiece, but rather than take places away from Europe, which sends 13 teams, Platini believes expansion is the way to go.

"It's good for everybody," Platini told The Times. "I totally agree with Mr Blatter that we need more African and Asian (countries). But instead of taking away some European, we have to go to 40 teams in the World Cup.

"We can add two African, two Asiatic, two American and one from Europe. I support this idea totally."

Platini believes the growth of FIFA in recent decades justifies a bigger World Cup.

"Football is changing and now we have 209 associations," he said. "There are more countries so why reduce? Forty is not so bad.

"You have three days more of competition and you make more people happy."

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t's wrong to be making a joke out of Bender's name at the expense of gay people. It's the kind of childish, uncivilised thing that Football365 would deride and ridicule if it was another media outlet saying. Why is there a need for jokes like this? Does it make your writers feel like men? F365 might suggest that I 'lighten up', but it is genuinely traumatic for people who have been oppressed all their lives to be the butt of jokes, and to be told...

ou can't blame De Gea for wanting to leave, he has enough to do in front of goal as it is as well as taking on the role of Man Utd's version of Derek Acorah in trying to contact and organise a defence that isn't there.